Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-11-26

WEST VIRGINIA CENTRAL.-The
growing influence of the West Vir-
ginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway
Company in the affairs of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company is
causing many business men, finan-
ciers and railroad officials to inquire
what is the object of this new corpor-
alton in gaining a foothold in the
great trunk line. The West Virginia
Central and its officers have now
number of lawsuits pending against
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and
it has struck deeply into the coal re-.
gions of West Virginia, along the up
per Potomac. and brought the coal
and timber of that region into compe-
tition with the miners of Maryland in
Allegany and Garrett counties, in
very many of which the Baltimore
and Ohio is interested, as in those
along Georges Creek. Up to a short
time ago the West Virginia Central
was believed to have its eyes upon
the Ohio and Chesapeake Canal, but
the defeat of the call for constitu-
tional convention will prevent it from
acquiring that property. The Balti-
more and Ohio, through its represent
tative interests, fought the West Vir-
ginia Central almost every step from
Piedmont to Cumberland, where it
was possible to form a junction with
the canal and the Pennsylvania Rail-
road. From Cumberland the West
Virginia Central had its choice of
three routes to tidewater for its coal
by the Pennsylvania Railroad to
Bedford, Huntingdon and Harrisburg,
and by the Northern Central Railway
to Baltimore; by the B. & o. to
Washington and Baltimore, and by
the canal to Georgetown. If German
can control the appointment of the
four state directors in the B. & O.
through Governor Jackson, and the
seven city directors through Mayor
Latrobe, by the aid of stock directors,
he could elect the president of the B.
& 0. Company, and as his interest is
in the West Virginia Company he
would be in a position to get any
kind of a carrying contract of termi
nal facilities. President Henry G.
Davis would wish and Mr.. Mayer dis
like, since it would place the Consoli-
dation and all the other Maryland
IOdi COLI puIliOo az q uiSdO fdlldSC.
But now it is believed the West Vir-
ginia Company has given up all ex-
pectation of buying or leasing the
canal. Some people think the West
Virginia Company contemplates
building line of its own down to
Hancock, or near there, and thereby
crossing the canal to get to Williams
port on the Western Maryland Rail-
road. Another opinion is that the
West Virginia Company desires the
Baltimore and Ohio to take its coal
hoppers down over the Main Stem
from Cumberland to Cherry Run, a
distance of about sixty-fve miles,
and by road ten miles across
to Hagerstown, connect with the
Cumberland Valley Railroad for
down rhe valley, or by the Western
Maryland for Baltimore. The West
Virginia Company has a depot at
Stapleton, Staten Island, for coal hop
pers through from Cumberland, in
stead of breaking bulk at Locust
Point or Canton.
Before next spring the West Vir-
ginia Central will have more friends
in the Western Maryland Railroad
than it has now, and both interests
united, might be able to form more
direct line to the coal fields of West
Virginia than it now has.